Ings also warned on Wednesday that the saga is far from over for Essendon's players, with the possibility of doping charges to linger beyond this season, even though no charges were laid against them by the AFL.

The Essendon club and four of its top officials, including coach James Hird, were charged by the AFL on Tuesday night with bringing the game into disrepute.

Hird plus his senior assistant Mark Thompson, football manager Danny Corcoran and club doctor Bruce Reid are due to face the AFL Commission on August 26.

Announcing the charges, AFL general counsel Andrew Dillon said no anti-doping charges would be laid against Bombers players based on evidence currently before the league.

However he noted the ASADA investigation into the club's suspect 2012 supplements program was on-going.

Speaking on Fox Sports on Wednesday, Ings agreed the players were not out of the woods because ASADA had made no conclusions about whether doping offences had occurred in its interim report.

We all appreciate that will take some time, but it has been seven months and there has been a lack of communication from ASADA as to exactly where they're up to.

Richard Ings

"This will drag on through the end of the season," Ings said.

"ASADA, as an organisation, has to get to a point where it can publicly make an announcement that it has fully examined all of the facts in these particular situations and determine either that there are doping cases to be answered by players (or not).

"That question, yes or no, is yet to be answered.

"We all appreciate that will take some time, but it has been seven months and there has been a lack of communication from ASADA as to exactly where they're up to.

"A bit more communication from the agency would go a long way in helping people to understand exactly the process they're working through and potential timeframe."

Ings said the decision on whether players were guilty of doping or not was up to ASADA, not the AFL.

"And ASADA should clarify their position on this as soon as possible," he said.

The agency was given greater powers on August 1 to compel people to come forward for interviews and Ings said he believes his former employer was yet to take full advantage of the new laws - notably to speak with sports scientist Stephen Dank, a central figure in the Essendon supplements saga.

"I have no doubt that ASADA will be looking to apply those powers to any and all people they haven't already spoken to," he said.

"But Mr Dank and his attorneys have been on the record publicly as saying he will decline all requests for interviews.

"Again, it's nose-to-nose, questions to ask without answers being given."